Manchin Announces $847K From American Rescue Plan For Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Crisis Intervention Services in West Virginia

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $847,527 from the American Rescue Plan to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) to support community-based mobile crisis intervention services for Medicaid beneficiaries who are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.

 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has placed additional pressures on many West Virginians battling mental health or substance use crises, and has often made it more difficult to receive or continue treatment. Connecting West Virginians who are in crisis with experienced mental and behavioral health professionals will help ensure our fellow West Virginians get the care they need in their communities and help prevent suicide or overdose-related deaths,” said Senator Manchin. “I have been fighting for funding to help states upgrade their crisis care programs and strategies, and I am pleased this funding from the American Rescue Plan will support mobile crisis intervention services for West Virginians in need. I will continue to advocate for funding to support mental health services and combat the drug epidemic in the Mountain State.”

 

This funding is distributed through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to support mobile crisis intervention services for West Virginians who are experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis.

 

Senator Manchin has been working to support West Virginians with mental health and substance use disorders. In July 2020, Senator Manchin introduced the Crisis Care Improvement and Suicide Prevention Act, which would direct states to utilize five percent of their Community Mental Health Services Block Grant for crisis care services – once funding for the program is increased by five percent nationally – allowing states to upgrade crisis care programs and strategies. Senator Manchin fought to include $767.6 million for crisis care through the Crisis Care and Suicide Prevention Act that passed the Senate in the December 2020 year-end spending package. West Virginia continues to have the highest overdose rate in the country, with 76.8 deaths per 100,000 persons, and 1,377 overdose deaths last year alone.